posted 8:00 PM After less than one hour of searching tonight, law enforcement officials have located a missing mother and her 6-year-old son in the Greenbelt area of Eureka near T and Wood streets.

Eureka Sgt. Steve Watson said a call came in at 6:11 p.m. from a citizen stating an 8-year-old girl had run naked out of the forested area near the 1900 block of Wood Street.

Eureka Sgt. Bill Nova said the caller reported the girl appeared frightened. Upon questioning, police learned the girl's mother had stripped her and her 6-year-old brother of their clothes while in the Greenbelt. The girl took off running from her mother.

Watson said the girl reported her mother had told her and her brother that she didn't love them anymore.

"The child looked like she'd been in the woods and was scared," Watson said.

Nova said it appears the mother was having some sort of mental breakdown.

The Eureka Police Department called in a number of units to assist in the search, including search and rescue volunteers, Watson said. Humboldt Bay Fire used thermal images devices to try and locate the two people in the dark.

Around 7:15 p.m., searchers located the woman and boy. Watson said officers heard the child crying.

"They found them deep down in the bottom of a gully," Watson.

He said both were completely naked, and had to be helped out of the densely forested area. He said both children are being taken into protective custody by Child Welfare Services. He said the woman hasn't been arrested and likely will be mentally evaluated. It's unknown at this point whether the mother will face any criminal charges.

posted 7:27 PM

Eureka police tonight are in the process of searching for a mother and her 6-year-old son in the Greenbelt area of Eureka near T and Wood streets.

Eureka Sgt. Bill Nova said police were alerted to the area when a citizen called stating they'd stopped an 8-year-old girl as she was running naked out of the forested area. He said the girl appeared frightened. Upon questioning, police learned the girl's mother had stripped her and her 6-year-old brother of their clothes while in the Greenbelt. The girl took off running from her mother.

Nova said it appears the mother was having some sort of mental breakdown.

The Eureka Police Department and Humboldt Bay Fire are assisting in the search. Thermal images devices are being used by the fire department to try and locate the two people in the dark.